"We've moved away from designing puzzles, and we've moved towards designing mysteries."

- Cardboard Computer cofounder Jake Elliott reflects on how the studio's approach to development has changed in the past two years.

Kentucky Route Zero changed significantly over the course of its development, moving from an objective-driven game full of puzzles with locks and keys to something more slow-paced, character-driven, and mysterious.

As part of the GDC 2014 Independent Games Summit, Cardboard Computer's Jake Elliott took the stage to give a brief talk about how -- and why -- the studio's approach to development evolved in the time leading up to the release of its first episode last year.

It's an interesting look at a few specific moments in the game with demonstrations of precisely how they changed over time, as Elliott reflects a bit on how emphasizing a sense of mystery in the game's design shaped Cardboard Computer's creative process.

We've gone ahead and embedded the free video of "Designing for Mystery in Kentucky Route Zero" above, but you can also watch it here on the GDC Vault.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.